Flokser Kimya Introduces Polyurethane-Based Rubber Bonding Systems

Demand for environmentally friendly, recyclable products is growing rapidly day by day. Old tyres and other rubber products are materials that can be recycled by grinding them into rubber particles. Currently, tens of thousands of tonnes of recycled rubber are used worldwide each month. Recycled rubbers are widely used as floor coverings on indoor and outdoor tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts, children's playgrounds, athletics tracks, running and walking paths, bicycle paths, terraces and balconies, and school grounds. Products made from recycled rubber are prepared to form a composite system using rubber and polyurethane binders. Polyurethane binders are also used to bond fragmented materials such as flexible sponges, EVA, cork and wood mulch in various recycling applications. Polyurethane binder processes involve mixing ground rubber (crumb rubber) with one or more polyurethane binders, which are then moulded and pressed at high temperature and pressure, or cast in the desired form and cured without any heat treatment. The rubber used in these processes should always be dry, containing less than a maximum of 0.5% water. Products made from rubber with high water content will have lower tensile strength, which will negatively affect product performance.

Therefore, drying rubber containing high levels of water before use will improve the quality of the final product.

Flokser Kimya, with its extensive polyurethane knowledge and production techniques, offers product varieties to meet customer needs for the different processes mentioned. Flokser Kimya has a presence in the market with two product types suitable for systems prepared using the pressing method. Creanate 110-10 and Creanate 110-10A products are easy to apply, solvent-free materials with excellent adhesion properties. Clean rubber granules free from chemical oils are mixed with Creanate 110-10 or Creanate 110-10A in the ratio of 4-7% using a mixer, and moulded rubber tiles are prepared by pressing and curing at 120°C – 170°C for 5-25 minutes depending on product thickness. Moulded rubber tiles are used in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor applications such as playgrounds, sports halls, verandas, landscape borders and moulded mats. For moulded rubber tiles, Creanate 110-10 and Creanate 110-10A binders offer a different range of reaction profiles due to their chemical structure diversity. Creanate 110-10 and Creanate 110-10 A have low shrinkage and consistent dimensional stability under different temperature and climate conditions. This ensures the formation of a homogeneous composite structure, helping to achieve perfect performance from the final product. Products used in pressing applications and their properties: Systems defined as casting method, where heat treatment is not applied, are especially ideal for running tracks, walking paths, parks, gardens and children's playgrounds, and decorative applications. Recommended for use by professionals only, these systems, which allow unlimited design freedom to create wonderful pattern and graphic combinations, are supplied by Flokser Kimya with three different products based on aromatic and aliphatic prepolymers.

Creanate 110-12 and Creanate 110-07 products are aromatic prepolymer-based, solvent-free, moisture-cured, high-quality, easy to process materials that offer excellent solutions for applications where durability properties are required.

Creanate 110-09 product is aliphatic prepolymer-based and, particularly in coloured, decorative applications, has high UV resistance capable of preventing yellowing caused by sunlight. As a transparent binder, Creanate 110-09 demonstrates superior mechanical properties and high resistance to external environmental conditions. The preparation phase in casting applications plays a decisive role in the quality of the final product. First of all, rubber granules must be thoroughly free of dirt, dust and chemical oils to ensure high adhesion between them. After cleaning the concrete surface, 100-150 g/m² of primer base coat (single-component binder, diluted with cellulosic thinner) should be applied. This process will ensure strong bonding of the cast rubber to the concrete surface. After the primer material has dried sufficiently, rubber granules and binder in the ratio of 15-20% are added to the mixer and mixed for approximately 10 minutes to obtain a homogeneous product. The binder and rubber mixture is poured onto the surface treated with PU primer and spread evenly with the help of a spreader or trowel. Final adjustments are made by hand and left to cure.

Products used in casting applications and their properties:

  Dr. Canan Kızılkaya Research and Development Director Flokser Kimya